Self-propelling projectile.



W. T. UNGE.

SELF PROPELLING PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1908. Q61, 1 79 v Patented June 14, 1910:

WILHELM THEODOR UNGE, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

SELF-PROPELLING PROJECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented une 14, 1910.

Application filed September 19, 1908. Serial No. 453,865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILHELM THEODOR Uses, a subject of the King of Sweden, and resident of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Propelling Projectiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein 'to the accompanying drawin Self-propelling projectil es, as flying torpedoes, rockets and the like are commonly started and kept in motion by the reaction of gas expanding in the projectile and escaping through an opening in the rear end of the same. The said expanding gas is generated by the burning of a motive com-' position provided in the projectile. In order that the said composition when ignited may generate in a short time the, necessary quantity of expanding gas, it must have a great combustion surface, which is furnished by a cylindrical or conical channel being provided in the center line of the motive composition to a certain depth from the exit opening, so that the projectile con,-

tains partly a pierced com osi'tion. and

partly a solid composition. onsequently, the torpedo or rocket is put. in motion by fire being introduced into the said channel through the exit opening or the muzzle, the whole surface of the central channel and the bottom of the solid part being thereby ignited and generating the quantity of expanding gas necessary for propelling the projectile.

The object of thisinvention is to introduce the fire, without the risk of explosion, from a art of the projectile, which is more accessib e than the part hitherto used. The fire has been introduced previously throu h the exit opening in the rear end of the projectile, or through breech-ignition, at which opening there are generally, in such projectiles as rockets or flying torpedoes used for the throwing of life-lines at shipwrecks, parts preventmgthe introducing of the fire or the rapid mounting of igniting means or the changing of defective igniting The invention consists in the front wall opposite the exit opening of the projectile, being provided with, a central opening, which cannot be widened by the escaping gas of high temperature and communicates through a channel, provided in the solid part of the composition, with the front end of the said channel in the-motive composltion; in order that it may be possible to introduce through the head or front wall ofthe projectile a fire jet into the central channel andignite the surface of the same, so that the projectile in this manner is put in motion by front-ignition and not by the introduction of the the through the muzzle or by breech-ignition as in projectiles hitherto used. Owing to the said arrangement the expanding gas will escape from the projectile through two straight opposite openings viz: the muzzle in the rear end of the projectile and the igniting opening in the front end of the samel By rendering the igniting opening narrower than the muzzle, the movement direction forward is however,

not changed but the propelling force is reduced. In order to reduce the said loss of force to a minimum, the igniting opening is made very narrow and only so wide, that a fire jet can pass from outside through the same and ignite the motive composition.

Such a fire jet is effected by a small charge of gun-powder for instance mounted outside 'the igniting opening and ignited by means of fuse or: in any other suitable man- I men. In order to fully obviate the said loss of force the charge of powder last mentioned may be inclosed in a gas tight chamber. In such case the ignition is efi'ected preferably by an electric spark. The gas generated in the projectile, which tendsto escape through the igniting opening, is then prevented from escaping, no motive force being, consequently, lost. Consequently, in the arrangement, last mentioned, the width of the igniting o ening is independent of the cross se'ctiona area of the exit opening and may for that reason'be of any desired size without influencing the movement of the projectile through the air.

In the accompanying drawing, Figural is a longitudinalsection ofa rocket provided with lgniting means in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is-a longitudinal section of for instance Unges flying torpedo, to which the invention is a plie 1 is the ordinary tube fixed to the stick 2.

3 is the muzzle, 4 the conical central channel or combustion surface'and' 5 the solid part of the motive composition.

6 is a disk of a material diflicult of combustion as for instance metal, orcela1n or the like and rovided with a ho low pro ection 7, exten ing forward and contamlng a small charge of gun-powder 8. In the disk '6 an openin 9 is provided which communicates with t e channel 4 through a channel 10in the front part 5 of the composition. The said charge of gun-powder can be ignited by means of fuse 11 fixed in the projection 7. As the small charge 8 of gun-powder is ignited by the ignite fuse 11, a jet'of fire is forced through theopenin 9 and channel 10 into the channel 4 an ignitesthe motive composition of the rocket. The generated gas begins immediately to pass through the muzz e 3 as well as through the igniting o e'ning 9. Owing to the fact that the area 0 the former is the opening 9 the rocket 1s, notwithstanding, forced forward.

- In the flyingtopedo,shown in Fig. 2, 12 is the steel shell of the torpedo, 13 the turbine, through which the gas escapes, 14 the forward wall of the torpedo, 15 an igniting.

opening in the said forward wall, leading from a chamber 17 provided with a cover 16 in screw threaded engagement with the wall of the chamber, said chamber containing the igniting char e in the shape of an electrical igniter 18 of suitable construction inserted in the chamber. If the said igniter is arrangedto be operated centrally, one of its terminals is in contact with a conductor 19 mounted in the cover 16 and insulated from the same, while the other terminal (the shell of the igniter) is in contact with the metallic parts of the torpedo. A' conical part 20 is mounted between the cover 16 and the shell 12 for steadying the point of the torpedo. 10 is the channel connecting;

the opening 15 and the central channel 4 in the motive composition of the torpedo.

As an electric current is led into the igniter 18 through the conductor 19, the charge in the igniter is ignited and a jet of fire is forced through the igniting opening 15 and ignites the motive composition.

The gas escapes through the turbine 13 and propelsthe torpedo, during which operation the cover 16 and the igniter 18 prevent the gas from escaping forward through the igniting opening. If the connecting channel 10 is to be dispensed with, the central channel 4 may be extended to the opening 15,

greater than that of .vided with a longitudinal channel forming a combustion surface and extended toward the rearend of the projectile, and an ignition opening at the forward part. of the projectile and communicating with said channel. 2. A self propelling projectile having a casing, a combustible composition contained therein and arranged to generate a rearwardly directed pro elling fluid, and provided with a longitu inal channel forming a combustion surface and extended toward the rear end of the projectile, a material difli cult of combustion arranged at the forward part'of the projectile and'having a chan'iber provided with a charge, means for igniting the charge in said chamber, and a passage affording communication from said chamber to said lon itudinally extended channel.

3. A sel propelling projectile having a casing, a combustible composition contained therein and arranged to generate a rearwardly directed propelling fluid, and provided with a longitudinal channel forming a combustion surface and .extended. toward the rear end of the projectile, a material difficult of combustion arranged at the forward part of the projectile and provided with a chamber, a passage affording communication from said chamber. to saidlongitudinalchannel, and an igniter. arranged in said chamber.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscrlbmg wltnesses.

WILHELM THEODOR UNGE.

Witnesses:

CARL FRIBERG, ROBERT APELGREN. I 

